Training

licensees, directors, shareholders and committee members who carry out the prescribed duties of a gaming manager or gaming employee and have notified the commissioners as such via BOEN.

Training is not a prerequisite to being notified as a gaming manager or gaming employee. However, all new gaming managers and gaming employees:

must complete the required training through a recognised training provider within 3 months of commencing employment

are required to maintain their level of knowledge through repeat training every two years.

When training is complete, the training provider will advise Consumer and Business Services (CBS) of the results and the training record is uploaded to the BOEN system, usually within 30 days.

If CBS is unable to upload a training record, the employee or the licence holder will need to manually upload the training record on BOEN. This may be necessary if training is completed prior to a licensee notifying the BOEN system of employment.

The licence holder is responsible for making sure that staff meet the training requirements. Payment of the course is a matter to be decided between the licence holder and the employee.

CBS inspectors regularly check the BOEN system to ensure training is up to date.

Penalties apply for both the employer and the employee if training requirements aren’t met.

Training providers

Training courses need to be recognised by the Independent Gambling Authority (IGA).

Duties

Only persons who are notified as a gaming manger and/or a gaming employee in BOEN are allowed to perform prescribed duties in relation to gaming machines. These duties are:

paying out winnings

opening a secure area of a gaming machine

performing any tasks that require the opening of a secure area of a gaming machine

the power to remove a person from a gaming area if that person has damaged or abused a machine, has or is about to commit an offence or is behaving in an offensive, abusive or disorderly manner using only such force as is reasonably necessary for that purpose

if a gaming machine operates in connection with a cashless gaming system-

provide assistance to a person using the cashless gaming system

assist the user of the cashless gaming system to store and transfer value from a user’s account to a gaming machine

provide assistance to the person using the (associated) pre-commitment system.

A cashier who is simply dispensing coins is not required to be a gaming manger or gaming employee.

Gaming managers also have the following additional responsibility to:

review the records of suspected problem gamblers on a regular basis

document as part of the record that the review has been undertaken

record any steps taken to intervene in the suspected problem gamblers’ gambling behaviour.

Gaming managers and gaming employees are prohibited from operating gaming machines at any venue where they are employed except as necessary for carrying out his or her duties.

Dealing with problem gamblers

Gaming managers must document any issues with suspected problem gamblers and try to intervene where appropriate.

People must be barred from a gaming area if:

they behave in an offensive or disorderly manner

they commit an offence

a gaming manager or employee believes they may hurt themselves or their family because of gambling

Gaming managers vs responsible person

A responsible person is someone approved to manage the liquor operations of the licensed premises.

Unless that person has also been notified as a gaming manager or gaming employee through BOEN, they are not allowed to perform gaming duties or supervise the gaming operations of the business.

Finishing employment

A licence holder must notify CBS using the BOEN system, within 14 days if a person stops work as a gaming manager or gaming employee. The person is not allowed to play gaming machines at that venue for 28 days after finishing work.